August 2, 2024 | Kaddy Gibson

Gene Winfield’s Coolest Custom Cars


Celebrating A Hot Rodding Legend  

Even if the name Gene Winfield doesn’t ring a bell, we can bet you’ve seen one of his creations on the big screen. Winfield is one of America’s greatest custom car creators, and we just couldn’t resist taking a deeper look at his life and insanely cool designs. From his first shop in his mother’s chicken coop to the heights of Hollywood, Gene Winfield’s life has been one wild ride—and he’s still going strong at 97 years old.

Genewinfieldcustomcars-Msn

Humble Beginnings

Gene Winfield grew up in Modesto, California. He first fell in love with cars after seeing all the vehicles at his older brother Glen’s wrecking yard.

Gene Winfeld at the Milwaukee World of Wheels showJoetregembo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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His First Car

In 1942, Winfield shelled out $75 for his first car, a 1928 Ford Model A coupe. The car didn’t have a radio, but Winfield made it look cool by giving it a foxtail radio antenna.

Close Up Photo of 1928 Ford Model A Special CoupeLars-Göran Lindgren, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

His First Custom

Winfield did his first big custom job on a 1930 Model A. He swapped out the engine for a 1937 flathead and designed and welded a custom intake manifold. He also filled the grille shell—it took him three attempts, but the final result was a sweet looking hot rod.

Close Up Photo of 1928 Ford Model A Special CoupeBernard Spragg, Wikimedia Commons

Navy Man

Winfield had to temporarily give up hot rodding for a nobler pursuit: fighting for freedom in WWII. Near the end of the conflict, he completed a year-long tour of duty in the Navy.

Close-up U.S. Navy, WWII, Landing Craft Supportphotolibrarian, Flickr

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The Model T Roadster

When Gene Winfield got back from combat, he promptly dove back into the world of hot rodding. In 1946, he set up his own car shop in a chicken coop on his parents’ property. There, he built his 1927 Model T roadster.

Close Up Photo of Black 1927 Ford Model T RoadsterSicnag, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

It Was A Hit

Winfield used to race the Model T with his friends on dry lakes, and in 1950, he put the car on display at the first National Roadster Show in Oakland, California. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Gene had to pump the brakes on hot rodding again—he was being sent back to the Army.

Close Up Photo of Light Brown 1927 Ford Model T Roadstersv1ambo, Flickr

Back To The Army

Since his tour hadn’t been long enough to meet his obligation to the military, Winfield had to serve as an Army MP. They shipped him off to Japan, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him from customizing cars.

Willys Jeep with World War II Military MarkingsJean Marc Bonnel, Pexels

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He Wouldn’t Stop

Winfield and a few of his Army buddies set up a small chop shop and got to work. They took apart a 1941 Ford coupe and customized it so it could be entered in local stock-car races.

Red 41 Ford Coupe displayed on exhibitionGreg Gjerdingen, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Racing Days

In 1951, Gene Winfield found himself back home in the United States, and he’d returned with a need for speed. Winfield took up racing, trying his hand everything from hardtop and street races to the early forms of organized drag racing.

Grayscale Close Up Photo of two vintage cars on a drag racing trackJOHN LLOYD, Flickr

The Thing

Winfield turned another Ford Model T into a hot rod. Dubbed “The Thing”, the car could hit a top speed of 135 mph and was driven by Winfield at Bonneville Speedway.

Winfield Get Together 2021-3Old Custom Cars 

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He Was An Innovator

With business booming, it was time to move to a new spot. In 1955, Gene Winfield opened Winfield's Custom Shop in downtown Modesto. There, he developed an innovation in custom painting: The Winfield Fade, which involved carefully fading two candy colors.

Aerial View of Downtown Modesto, CaliforniaJacob Boomsma, Shutterstock

Shop Truck

Gene’s Shop Truck was unveiled in March 1960. The shimmering gold customization of a 1935 Ford pickup truck was later restored by Hatfield Restorations and now sits on display at the Galpin Auto Sports Museum.

Close up Photo of 1935 Ford Gene Winfield PickupSicnag, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Becoming A Household Name

Gene Winfield got some more recognition on the national hot rod scene after helping out on famous projects like Spence Murray’s Dream Truck. He also made waves with the Jade Idol, a custom Mercury that was named one of Car Craft's 10 Best Customs in 1960.

Ccc-Jade-Idol-Sold-2017-1970S

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Solar Scene 

After the Jade Idol, Winfield went to work on another customized Mercury. This one was called “Solar Scene” and aside from the paint job, its coolest feature was its electric swivel seats.

400Px-SolarsceneKustomrama

He Helped Ford 

In the early 1960s, Detroit automakers wanted to dip their toes into the hot rod market, and they set about creating drag and show concept cars to captivate the youth. They set up the Ford Custom Car Caravan and invited Winfield to lend a hand.

Traffic at the 1960 Auto Show. Cobo Hall, Detroit, MichiganJOHN LLOYD, Flickr

The Ford Caravan

For the Ford Caravan, Winfield was joined by legendary custom creators George Barris, Bill Cushenbery, Dean Jeffries, and the Alexander Bros. Winfield developed the Pacifica Ford Econoline van and Mercury Comet Cyclone Sportster.

Close Up Photo of Gene Winfield PacificaLarryStevens, Wikimedia Commons

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The Strip Star

Winfield also designed the Strip Star for Ford. He powered the aluminum-bodied hot rod with a 427 V8 engine.

Close Up Photo of Gene Winfield's Strip Star CarCraig Howell, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Reactor

In 1964, Winfield took his customization of aluminum-bodied cars up a notch. He created The Reactor, a mid-engined two seater with a low profile. But the tech beneath the hood was far more impressive than the cool bodywork.

Close Up Photo of Reactor By Gene WinfieldPLawrence99cx, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Reactor (cont’d)

Winfield took a Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine from a Corvair Corsa and paired it with front wheel drivetrain of a Citroën DS. He also kept the DS’ height adjustable Hydropneumatic suspension.

1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza coupe enginesv1ambo, Flickr

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A Showstopper 

The Reactor was a hit with hot rod enthusiasts and even caught the eye of TV execs. In 1967, an episode of Bewitched was written to feature The Reactor and its unique capabilities. And in 2017, the car turned heads again at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car show.

Gene Winfield, with a young female fan at Grand National Roadster Show in PomonaJoetregembo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Welcome To Hollywood 

Winfield’s custom work took him to Hollywood, and in 1966, he was hired by Aluminum Model Toys (AMT) to create promotional vehicles. One of those vehicles was the Galileo spacecraft from Star Trek.

Galileo (Star Trek) Shuttle from the NCC 1701 Starship EnterpriseGorissenM, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Piranha

The Piranha was the next Winfield creation to grace the small screen, appearing in a 1967 episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The car featured the same Corvair engine as The Reactor but was rear-engined with a rear wheel drivetrain. It was originally meant to show how ABS could be used in automotive materials.

Close Up Photo of Gene Winfield Piranah UnclePLawrence99cx, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Sci-Fi Magic 

In the ‘80s, Winfield went on to help design cars for sci-fi movies, including the spinners from Blade Runner, the Starcar from The Last Streetfighter, and the 6000 SUX from Robocop.

Close Up Photo of K's Spinner for Blade Runnerzombieite, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Award Winner

Many of Winfield’s creations have won awards but three of his cars went on to win the award for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster, which is incredibly impressive. He won in 1955, 1963, and in 1964 with the King T.

Gene Winfield custom car displayed on exhibitionaustin_slack, Flickr

Toolmaker

Winfield is known for his custom creations, but he’s also made a few metal-shaping tools like bead rollers and hammers. One his more famous tools is the Pullmax, used for cutting metal.

Close Up Photo of Bead Roller on a work desk in a work shopMicah Maziar, Flickr

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Maybelline

Winfield built this custom ‘61 Cadillac in 1993. It features his Winfield Fade paint job with a blend of Butterscotch and Ice Cream paint.

Close Up Photo of Yellow 1961 Cadillac ConvertibleJack Snell, Flickr

The Brookville Roadster

In 2007, Winfield built this 1932 Ford Brookville Roadster in an attempt to get into the 200-mph club at Bonneville. The hot rod is powered by a Rates Racing 368 Windsor Ford engine and features a front-end suspension designed by the late, great Lil’ John Buttera.

Close Up Photo of 1932 Ford Roadster Hot RodSicnag, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Shop

Winfield has owned multiple car shops over the years. His latest, Gene Winfield Rod & Custom, takes up about five acres in the Mojave desert.

Portrait Photo of Gene Winfield, John Barris (son of Sam Barris) and Joe Bailon.Tom VanNortwick, Flickr

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No Retirement In Sight

When he’s not traveling the world doing workshops, Winfield still works on custom creations at his shop. Depending on who shows up, he has four to six employees to lend a hand.

Close Up Photo of Gene Winfield's 1960's Craig Howell, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Final Thoughts

Gene Winfield's come along way from those early days working out of a chicken coop, and there's no signs of him slowing down any time soon. The world of custom cars would be a lot more boring without him, so let's raise a toast to this one-of-a-kind, hot rodding king. 

Gene Winfield car displayed on exhibitionDave Parker, Flickr


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